The End of an Era
by Kitakana
Summary: Fairy Tail chapter 416 outtake on Doranbolt's reaction to the master's revelations and his thoughts on the end of an era. (Chapter 416 spoilers.)


Fairy Tail chapter 416 outtake on Doranbolt's reaction to the master's revelations and his thoughts on the end of an era. (Chapter 416 spoilers.)

Disclaimer: This oneshot draws heavily on the material presented in chapter 416 of the manga Fairy Tail. It also draws heavily on other parts, namely Markarov's words which are quoted word for word from this and other manga chapters. The cover image also comes from chapter 416.

* * *

><p>Doranbolt was in shock, his mind reeling from the master's revelation.<p>

He acutely felt the weight. All of those years he had regretted his actions against FairyTail on Tenroujima. All of the time he had watched Fairy Tail from the sidelines with mingled regret and longing. A week ago with Tartaros, when he had saved Wendy after her defeat of FACE. All of the time he had viewed Fairy Tail members through a lens of regret and longing without realizing exactly why those feelings were so potent.

How could he have ever left? And now that he knew, how could he go on without his guild? But the choice to return to the guild had been taken. Informed that he was a member of Fairy Tail and told that it was disbanding in the next breath.

And now here he sat in front of his broken guild, watching as news of its disbanding spread.

Markarov stood before the guild as word slowly spread. Doranbolt watched despondently as the master confirmed that he would not rebuild Fairy Tail. While others looked on in varying states of shock, disbelief, outrage, and sadness, the master addressed everyone:

"This marks the end of an era. Fairy Tail will now disband. As you choose your paths and move forward, remember this.

"One: You must never reveal sensitive information about Fairy Tail to others for as long as you live.

"Two: You must never use former contacts met through your being in the guild for personal gain.

"Three: Though our paths may have diverged, you must continue to live out your life with all your might, you must never consider your own life to be something insignificant, and you must never forget about your friends who loved you.

"Fly free, brats"

With that, Markarov turned and walked away, leaving the broken remnants of Fairy Tail behind him.

Doranbolt rubbed his right shoulder absently where his Fairy Tail mark had returned. Would it disappear as soon as it had come? He had a lot to think through. Although he accepted the master's version of his history, that he was a member of Fairy Tail who had infiltrated the council and then in turn infiltrated Fairy Tail, he had no memory of it. Although he understood how to take memories away, he was not as good at bringing them back. In order to restore memories, just like to erase them, he needed to know exactly what memory to target. And because he had wiped his own memory, he did not know what exactly to restore.

"Doranbolt." A soft voice broke his train of thought. He turned and saw Wendy standing beside him. "Where will you go?"

He just shook his head. There was no council to go back to. He had found his guild only to have it disbanded the next moment. He did not know where to go.

As Doranbolt looked down at Wendy's face, he saw in her downcast look the sorrow and pain she had endured finally breaking through the optimistic front she had put up since Tartaros.

Doranbolt pulled Wendy against him, hugging her close. He did not know where he was going to go, but wherever he went, he hoped he she would allow him to keep watching over her. Together, they would be able to forge ahead and face whatever the new era held in store.

* * *

><p>AN and Chapter 416 spoilers: I am posting this about 12 hours after FT chapter 416 was released, the last chapter of the Tartaros arc. For me, this manga chapter was just so moving in so many different ways. It struck me most poignantly with the depiction of Doranbolt. It showed Doranbolt as the kind of hero Markarov always knew he was and I always hoped for him to become. I am excited to see him developing as a character.<p>

Chapter 416 marks the end of an arc, the end of Fairy Tail (guild), and the end of an era. Not just the end to Doranbolt's extended infiltration which ended by him being the last survivor of the group he infiltrated. It also marks the end of a lot of other things like the end to the era of Gray spurning Juvia's advances. Lucy has gone full cycle from being on her own to finding Natsu and the guild to being even more alone. And perhaps it is the end to Erza and Jellal ignoring each other. And let us not forget the other end the chapter throws, the E.N.D. revelation. This oneshot is tribute to the end of that era.

Thank you for reading.


End file.
